Hard to believe this is a 20 year old neo.
I mean everybody is raving about Evenepoel, but it doesn't eclipse Pogacar's performances so far
If you are talking in absolute terms, then no, i don't think it eclipses what Pogacar has done this year. I would rate both debuts about equal. Winning San Sebastian, an actual classic, winning the EC ITT, stages in BBT and AIR and the overall in BBT, couple of top 10 stageraces (San Juan, Turkey, AIR...), some exploits in Hammer series and the Belgian National ITT (3rd) vs stages + overall in California & Algarve, top 10 in Pais Vasco & Slovenia and the Slovenian National ITT win . But if you factor in age, then Evenepoel's trajectory is the (far) more baffling imho.
We'll have to wait and see if RE will be able to pull off in 16 months what Pogacar did this year (I'm not yet convinced he will). But i'm also quite sure Pogacar wouldn't have been able to do what Evenepoel did this year, 16 months ago (i actually don't think Pogacar could have done this year, what Evenepoel did this year). They are after all quite different. The biggest difference however, imho, is not in strenght or commitment, but in style. While Pogacar seems very calculated and strategically clever, Evenepoel seems far more brazen and going against established rules. I think this is also what makes him more fun to follow than Pogacar. There are more actual "WTF" moments. But whether their way of riding is due to temperament or (lack of) experience, remains to be seen. I'm just enjoying the ride watching these guys. This year has given us (or me at least) a lot of enjoyment with Evenepoel, Pogacar, Bernal, van Aert, van der Poel, Carapaz and... Lambrecht. To be honest, i haven't been able to watch one stage of the Vuelta yet, simply because last month i was so excited to see him ride there.